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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has been following up with the Mainland health authority regarding reports of suspected AIDS-like illnesses in the Mainland. The CHP received investigation findings from the Ministry of Health (MOH) last night (April 6).
A CHP spokesman said that according to the investigation from MOH, there have been individuals in the Mainland claiming to be suffering from an AIDS-like illness since June 2009. Investigations by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were initiated. These individuals lived in different parts of the Mainland without clustering. No common characteristics or causative evidence of disease transmission among these individuals or their close contacts were identified.
Laboratory tests undertaken by China's CDC and an laboratory in the United States yielded negative results for HIV. No causative pathogen has been found so far.
"According to MOH, there is currently no evidence from clinical presentation, laboratory or epidemiological findings to substantiate that these people are suffering from an infectious disease."
The CHP will continue to monitor the latest developments.
Ends/Thursday, April 7, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:06
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